Adjustable table leg construction



Miirch 3, 1953 I M. c. MQGINLEY 7 2,630,360

ADJUSTABLE TABLE LEG CONSTRUCTION Filed June 15, 1951 MYRON G. M2 GINLEY attorneys Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE TABLE LEG CONSTRUCTION Myron 0. McGinley, Denver, 0010. Application June .15, 1951, Serial No. 231,711

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in adiustable support devices and more particularly to an adjustable leg construction adapted to support articles at different elevations.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved pivoted leg construction which may be disposed in alternative positions to ,position an article support, .such as a table, at two diiferent elevations.

Another object is to provide a leg construction of the character described which may readily be formed from bar material, such as tubing.

Another object is to provide a piece of furniture, such as a table, the parts of which may be disposed in suitable relationship to form either a single or tier coffee table of adjustabl area, or a table of conventional height, such as dining room table height.

.Still further objects, advan ages, and salien features will become. more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanyin drawin in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the table when adjusted to conventional height;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 22 Figure 1 Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4, Figure 1, portions being broken away;

Fi ure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation, similar to Figure 1, when the table is adjusted to a lower position such as to coffee table height;

Figure 7 is a section taken on line 1-1,Figu Figure 8 is a section taken on line tie-.8, Figure 6, the shelf means being omitted;

Figure 9 is a side elevation, similar to Figure 1, showing an alternative form of leg construction.

Figure 10 is a section taken on line I0-1.0,:Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a section taken on line I l-l i, Figure 9, portions being broken away;

Figure 12 is an enlarged section taken on line l2l2, Figure 9;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary end elevation of a modified leg construction; and

Figure 14 is a perspective, portions being broken away, of the table of Figures 1 and 2 when used as an extension table.

Referring in detail to the drawing and particularly Figures 1 to 5 and 14, the table comprises,

n enera-1. a rectan ula tab e top 20 and a pai of legs 21 21c. Leg 2! compr ses ailower portion 22 having floor en agin feet 23, 24, an ansularlv upward ran ing po tion 25. a ver call rang n portion .26, a horiz ntal po ti n 2' x nding transversely of the table top, a horizontal portion 2.8 extending perp ndi u a to po t on 2 and a horizon po t on 29 extendi a lel to portion .27. The corresponding parts of leg 2 la have been designated by reference characters 22a to 29 The legs are identical in construction, but are disposed in reverse relationship.

Leg portion 2"! is secured to the table top in any suitable manner for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely thereof.

For purpose of illustration, the pivot means comprises a pair of U -shaped straps 30, 30 as best shown in Figures 3 to 5, which extend around leg portion 21 and are secured to the table top by wing screws 31. Straps 30a, 30a, which are the same construction as straps 30, 38, similarly secure the other leg to the table top. It will be observed that the pivotal axes of the legs are disposed closer to the center of the table than portions 22, 22a and that portions 28, 2841 and/or 29, 29a, respectively, form stops to limit leg rotation in one direction. When weight or other force is applied to the top of the table, portions 22, 22a tend to spread apart, but such tendency is resisted with increased force of the limit means, just described, against the lower surface of the table top.

When it is desired to convert the conventional table into a table of lower height sueh as a cofiee table, the legs are rotated to the positions shown in Figures '6 to 8 wherein portions 22, 22a; are

substantially transposed from their former -positions, portions 26,2 to now forming the stop means for limiting rotation of the legs in the opposite direction of rotation. As best shown in Figures 3 and 8, the legs are staggered slightly so that they may swing past each other without interference.

if only a single tier cofiee table is desired, por- 1 varied as to area. Exemplary structure to attain this end is best shown in Figures 1, 6 and 14 wherein channels 32, are secured to the bottom of the table top and extend transversely thereof. When it is desired to increase the area of the table top, a bar 33 is slid into each channel, these bars projecting beyond one or both sides of table top 20 a sufiicient distance to support one or more leaves 20a. As shown in Figure 14, two leaves have been employed, one on each side of table top 20. It will be apparent that bars 33 may be of a length sufficient to support only one leaf or a plurality of leaves on one or both sides of the table top 20 and that various lengths of bars may be provided as well as any number of leaves. It will be apparent that the area of the coffee table may be varied in similar manner and that sufiicient leaves 20a may be provided to not only vary the area as desired but also retain the tier feature previously described. Thus with three leaves the cofiee table top area may be equal to the area of table top 20 plus the area of two leaves and still retain the shelf area below the table top. Any leaves not required for a particular arrangement of the parts, as well as any bars 33, may be stored as desired.

Figures 9 to 12 illustrate an alternative form of the invention wherein the legs are bent in a manner such that vertical portions I26 are disposed substantially at the longitudinal center line of the table, rather than diagonally, as in the previous arrangement. When the legs are relatively close together, portion I26 of the respective legs must be offset slightly so that they may swing past each other without interference. Portion I22 of one leg will also swing through the space between portions I22 and I25 of the other leg. The upper end of portion I26 is bent to form a portion I28, similar to portion 28, and at the juncture of these portions an aperture is provided to receive a pivot pin I30, as best shown in Figure 12, which is secured to brackets 34, secured to table top I20. This connection serves the same purpose as pivot means 30. A transverse portion I29 is welded or otherwise secured to the end of portion I28, these members forming a T-shaped construction. When leg I26 is swung to the low position, as in Figure 6, it will be apparent that portion I26 forms a stop in the same manner as portion 26. Portion I29 will extend transversely of portion I28, in a manner similar to portion 29 and provide oppositely projecting supports from both sides of portion I28 upon which shelves or leaves may be supported.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an article support, means for supporting the article support at relatively high or low elevations, comprising; a pair of legs, means for connecting the upper end of each leg to the article support for pivotal movement about substantially parallel axes, the legs shaped and constructed that the distance between their lower ends exceeds the distance between said axes, each leg, when the article support is disposed at the high elevation, having a first substantially vertical portion extending downwardly from its pivotal connection with the article support, and a second portion at its upper end extending laterally of the pivotal connection, in a direction opposite to the corresponding portion on the other leg, the last named portion forming stop means for limiting leg rotation in one direction, each leg being rotatable substantially to a position wherein its second portion extends downwardly in a substantially vertical position and its first portion is disposed substantially horizontally forming stop means for limiting leg rotation in the opposite direction, each leg being so constructed that its lower end engages a supporting surface in either position of adjustment, with the remainder thereof spaced above the supporting surface.

2. A leg construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lower end of at least one leg includes a third portion extending in a direction to engage a supporting surface at spaced points thereon.

3. A leg construction in accordance with claim 1 including means carried by the second portion designed so that it may carry a second article support below the first named article support when the latter is disposed at its low elevation.

4. A leg for an article support having a lower end forming a first portion engageable with a supporting surface at spaced points thereon, an upwardly ranging second portion connected at one end thereof to one end of the first portion and at its other end to a third substantially vertical portion, a stop member rigidly fixed to the third portion extending substantially perpendicular thereto, at the same side of the third portion as the second named portion, means for pivotally connecting the leg to an article support at a point adjacent the junction of the third portion and said member, the third portion being rotatable to a position wherein it may serve as a limit stop, said member serving as a limit stop when the leg is rotated to an alternative position.

MYRON C. McGINLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wilkinson Oct. 24, 1950 

